9 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 March)

Ups...

9. Triple H's PC Welcome

Triple H
WWE.com

Onto the good stuff.

Triple H's warm welcome to SmackDown put over the Performance Center as vital to the WWE machine, and it did so succinctly. This wasn't some 20-minute intro from 2002. No, it was a brief introduction to casual fans who might not know much about the facility, and a neat way for Trips to explain why the show was being held there.

The hushed nature of Triple H's promo set the tone for how different the evening would be. He didn't have fans to pander to (or smart fans to battle against), and he could focus on putting across WWE's dedication to providing entertainment during times of struggle. Hollow PR or otherwise, it was well performed.

You may never see another episode of SmackDown open this way. It was definitely less hyperbole-tastic than pyrotechnics, screaming crowds, flashes of fan signs and Michael Cole's now-standard intros. The PC's intimate atmosphere was clearly presented straight away.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.